Lamp assembly



April 18, 1967 D. H'PFEFFERLE 3,315,071

LAMP ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 19, 1964 FIG.3

DONALD H. PFEFFERLE IN VENTOR Bay 3a ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,315,071 LAMP ASSEMBLY Donald H. Pfeiferle, Williamsport, Pa., assignor to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 390,618 4 Claims. (Cl. 2401.3)

This invention relates" to photographic flashlamps and more particularly to the assemblage of a plurality of these lamps in a photographic flashlamp unit.

In the co-pending application of Lester F. Anderson et al., Ser. No. 335,013, filed Jan. 2, 1964, now Patent No. 3,244,087, and assigned to the same assignee as this application, there is disclosed a photographic flashlamp unit comprising a plurality of reflectors arranged to define an assemblage and having a photoflash lamp located in operative relationship with respect to each of said reflectors. This lamp-reflector assembly is disposed in a container, the transparent sides of which function as windows for the lamps. In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing of the referenced Anderson et al. application, each of the lamps is supported in part at least by its associated reflector. One of the principal objects of this invention is to support the lamp in dependently of its associated reflector while still maintaining it in operative relationship with respect thereto.

This and other objects, advantages and features are attained, in accordance with the principles of this invention, by mounting the lamps on a base member in such a manner that the lamp lead-in wires serve as a means for securing and supporting the lamp thereon as well as electrical contacts.

In the accompanying drawing, FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a photographic flashlamp unit employing the lamp mounting arrangement of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary detail on an enlarged scale showing the lamp mounting arrangement of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail on an enlarged scale illustrating a preferred staking arrangement.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, each photoflash lamp 1 comprises an hermetically sealed glass envelope 3 having an exhaust tip 5 at one end thereof and an external press 7 at the other end thereof. The envelope 3 is provided with a combustible such as shredded zirconium foil 9 and a combustion-supporting gas such as oxygen. Leadin wires 11 and 13 which are sealed in and extend through the press 7 of each lamp envelope 3 are part of an ignition system disposed within the lamp envelope and comprising a filament bridging the lead-in wires and an igniter disposed on the inner ends of each of the lead-in wires, neither of which are shown since they form no part of this invention.

Each of the lamps 1 is disposed in operative relationship with respect to a reflector 15 associated therewith, the lamps 1 being mounted on a base 17 and the lampreflector assembly being enclosed in a container 19 of transparent material.

The substantially rectangular base 17 is provided with two pairs of holes extending therethrough and arranged along each of the four sides thereof. Each pair of holes comprises a small hole 21 and a larger hole 23. In mounting a lamp 1 on the base 17, the lead-in wires 11 and 13 are threaded through the small holes 21, bent back on themselves to define bights 11a and 13a, threaded into the larger holes 23 and shaped to define hooks 11b and 13b at the ends thereof. Each of the bights 11a and 13a is tightly drawn against the bearing surface defined and provided by the walls 17a and 17b respectively between each small and large hole. Each of the hooks 11b and 13b is in firm frictional engagement with the bearing surface provided by the wall of the base 17 defined by the hole in which the hook is disposed.

A preferred staking arrangement is illustrated in FIG- URE 3. The larger hole 23 is several times the diameter of the lead-in wire 13 and the end of the lead-in wire is jagged as at 13c. The hook 13b exerts high outward pressure on the hole wall and the jagged end penetrates the relatively soft plastic material of which the base 17 is made. This arrangement provides a very elfective means for locking the lead-in wires in place and thus firmly and securely support the lamps on the base.

As shown in FIG. 1, each lamp 1 is disposed in operative relationship with respect to a reflector 15. In the specific embodiment, the lower portion of each reflector 15 is provided with a cutout 15a through which a lamp 1 extends, and the upper portion of each reflector is provided with an aperture 15b through which exhaust tip 5 extends. The container 19 of transparent material encloses the assemblage of lamps and reflectors, and is secured to the base 17 by suitable means, depending in large part on the nature of the materials of which the base and the container are made.

What I claim is:

1. A lamp assembly comprising: a plurality of lamps, each having a pair of spaced lead-in wires depending therefrom and having jagged free ends; and a base of relatively soft plastic material on which said lamps are mounted, said base being provided with a pair of holes extending therethrough for each of said lead-in wires of said lamps, one of the holes of each of said pair of holes being larger than the other and several times larger than the diameter of a lead-in wire, each lead-in wire being threaded through the smaller hole of said pair of holes, bent back on itself to define a bight, threaded into the larger hole, and further shaped to define a hook terminating in said jagged end, said bight defining an electrical contact surface for engagement with an electrical contact member of a socket, receptacle or the like, and said hook defining anchoring means with the jagged end thereof penetrating said base.

2. A photoflash assembly comprising: a substantially rectangular base of relatively soft plastic material having two pairs of spaced holes extending therethrough and arranged along each side of said base, one of the holes of each pair of holes being several times larger than the other; a photoflash lamp, having a pair of spaced lead-in wires having jagged ends depending therefrom, mounted on said base along each side thereof, each lead-in wire being threaded through the smaller hole of each pair of holes, bent back on itself to define a bight, threaded into the large hole, and further shaped to define a hook terminating in said jagged end, said bight defining an electrical contact surface for engagement with an electrical contact member of a socket, receptacle or the like, and said hook defining anchoring means with the jagged end thereof penetrating said base; and a reflector positioned on said base behind each of said lamps and in operative relationship with respect thereto.

3. A lamp assembly comprising: a plurality of lamps, each having a pair of spaced lead-in wires depending therefrom; and a base on which said lamps are upstanding, said base being provided with a pair of holes extending therethrough for each of said lead-in wires of said lamps, each lead-in wire being threaded through one of the holes of said pair of holes, bent back on itself to define a bight and ultimately anchored in the other hole of said pair of holes to thereby support said lamp in an upstanding position, and said bight defining an electrical contact surface for engagement with an electrical contact member of a socket, receptacle or the like.

4. A photoflash assembly comprising: a substantially 3 rectangular base having two pairs of spaced holes extending therethrough and arranged along each side of said base; a photoflash lamp, having a pair of spaced lead-in wires depending therefrom, upstanding on said base along each side thereof, each lead-in wire being threaded through one of the holes of each pair of holes, bent back on itself to define a bight and ultimately anchored in the other hole of said each pair of holes to thereby support said lamp in an upstanding position, and said bight defining an electrical contact surface for engagement with an electrical contact member of a socket, receptacle or the like; and a reflector positioned on said base behind each of said lamps and in operative relation ship with respect thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,167 5/1956 Parrish 339-220 X 3,087,318 4/1963 Oswold 240-1.3 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 952,318 3/1964 Great Britain.

JOHN M. HORAN, Primary Examiner, 

1. A LAMP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF LAMPS, EACH HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED LEAD-IN WIRES DEPENDING THEREFROM AND HAVING JAGGED FREE ENDS; AND A BASE OF RELATIVELY SOFT PLASTIC MATERIAL ON WHICH SAID LAMPS ARE MOUNTED, SAID BASE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF HOLES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FOR EACH OF SAID LEAD-IN WIRES OF SAID LAMPS, ONE OF THE HOLES OF EACH OF SAID PAIR OF HOLES BEING LARGER THAN THE OTHER AND SEVERAL TIMES LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A LEAD-IN WIRE, EACH LEAD-IN WIRE BEING THREADED THROUGH THE SMALLER HOLE OF SAID PAIR OF HOLES, BENT BACK ON ITSELF TO DEFINE A BIGHT, THREADED INTO THE LARGER HOLE, AND FURTHER SHAPED TO DEFINE A HOOK TERMINATING IN SAID JAGGED END, SAID BIGHT DEFINING AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT SURFACE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBER OF A SOCKET, RECEPTACLE OR THE LIKE, AND SAID HOOK DEFINING ANCHORING MEANS WITH THE JAGGED END THEREOF PENETRATING SAID BASE. 